The Press., 1887-06-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, D. O., June & 1885,
 The average Washingtonian has every facility for becoming an expert cioerone as Wen as chaperone; and oftentimes causes the regularly established profes- slonal guide to turn green with envy as he hears the amateur glibly rattle of the va. r1ous attractions and points of intereat in store for his eager listeners in the oap;tal of the nation.
 Great was the perplexity of A friend of mine day or two ago, when Approaching CtreenouRhs admirable connection ii, mar. Die ot George Washington as the Roman patrlclan enthusiastically describing this great masterpiece of art, he observed n singular and entirely new Oppression on the features of the father of his country coming nearer, he and his companions were greatly shocked and considerahIy amused at the same time, at discoyerino that some vandal hand had pencfled tbe pupils of the eyes, and that their 0lahce had been purposely turned inward. giving a ludlcrously cross-eyed effect to the ob. lect of the peoples veneration.
 This disposition of recklessness in dis. nguring and mutilating objects of public interest, out of motives of pure mischief together with the selfish greed of the relic hunter, oy strangers visiting here, caused the closing of the Washington monument, Go the great disappointment of the throngs tional drill. .aS VI 1'' ,
 An event of interest to the medical fra. ternlty of the country is the meeting bere of the annual convention of the Assooia- tlon ot American Physicians. including i'm Its membership representatives men from the whole country.
 The plans, specifications. forms of nro- posals and contracts for naval vessels nd. Vertlsed Tor, were made public yesterday ana do not know of another question unless 1t be that of the surplus i'm the na, tlonal treasury, that has taken such a hold upon the public mind as the contemplated reconstruction of our navy. FI - -T-I.
 former secretary of the navy. who was an enthusiastic forwarder of this rneasure also, Wm. E. Chandler, seems to be dea- Ulneo TOT the senate, he having distaBced. all competitors in the race aI bGa,an Boynton, of the Cincinnati OornnaeFciall 6azette, and Shaw, of the Boston Tran scrlpt, scrip, are now the veterans of Newspaper Poore. 4 ..-..-, n ~J M ' - ; ''rO-''sy . o.'sy
 Booksellers in the vicinity of the denart ments noticed decided increase fin thair sales of school books, and especially tbe secondhand desks, owing to the first scare of the clerks on the promulgation of the new civll service rules for promotions in the departments but later the decrease ln thls demand shows that the panic is over, ana that the more reasonable view of the new order of things prevails.
 Ihe faithful, efficient clerk has not had the tune nor the inclination to discuss and Iwelgh the effects of the rule. as applied to his or her own case, and is either totally unconcerned, or feels secure on account of an Inward consciousness of usefulness and
 There Is one very perceptible good that has been effected by the reform in the civ Il service, and that is the increased punct- uallty. In department consisting of fif- teen hundred clerks, where formerly two hundred were noted as being customarily tardy, now five or six only have to be re- ported as coming late, and none are per mltted to leave before four o'clock either, snr mus gaming perhaps an hour each day centage of clerks.